Internal combustion engine hydraulic actuated and variable valve timing device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to the hydraulic actuation and variable timed engine poppet valves. A conventional hydraulic pump pressurizes a rotor vane distributor, wherein hydraulic lines are appropriately timed and linked with a shuttle release valve which is linked with a hydraulic actuator/lifter apparatus. In one position the shuttle valve directs the fluid to the actuator; and a second position, wherein the fluid is dumped to a return line during the poppet valve return. The distributor is timed and driven from the engine power shaft and comprises a plurality of movable counter weights that advances the rotation of the distributor rotor as engine speed or R.P.M. increases. The system also relates to the hydraulic actuation and variable timed engine fuel injectors.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 07/788,762 filedNov. 11, 1991, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/696,166filed May 6, 1991. The owner and inventor of the aforementionedapplications is the sole owner and inventor of this application.

The invention describes a system, wherein; a conventional hydraulic pumpis used to activate the internal combustion engine poppet valves. Thehydraulic pump forces oil through a pressurized rotor vane distributor,wherein; the oil is forced to rotate within a rotor cavity anddistributed by way of appropriately timed lines to a shuttle releasevalve and passing further to an actuator lifter apparatus. When the vanerotor cavity is not intersecting with the hydraulic lines, the lines arebled of pressure by way of a bleeder cavity housed to the back side ofthe vane rotor and the shuttle release valve dumps the oil housed in theactuator into a return line thus allowing the valve to close. The systemprovides variably timed valves and also provides for the hydraulicactivation and timing of engine fuel injectors. A compensator valve isused to compensate for the difference in engine valve timing and fuelinjector timing.

PRIOR ART

Engine poppet valves are normally actuated by way of cam shafts. Thesystems normally require a hydraulic adjuster/lifter linked with the camshaft, a push rod assembly linked with a rocker arm assembly with therocker arm linked with the engine valve. To vary the valve timingrequires complex systems and sophisticated controls. This hydraulicsystem offers advantages to achieving variable valve and/or fuelinjector timing by shifting the light load of the distributor rotors asopposed to the heavy load of the cam shaft.

PURPOSE OF INVENTION

The aforementioned application provides a simple hydraulic system foractuation of engine poppet and/or fuel injectors but does not addressleakage problems from bleeder and orifices that bleed off under the fullpressure of the hydraulic system and the variable valve timing methodshown is overly complex. This invention addresses the leakage frombleeders, and will show a far less complex variable valve timingapparatus. The invention also addresses the need to compensate for thedifference between variable valve timing and variable fuel injectortiming.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a hydraulic schematic in conjunction with the basic partsof the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a species of the invention in section except conventionalparts not in section

FIG. 3 is taken at line 3--3 of FIG. 2

FIG. 4 shows a schematic in conjunction with the basic parts of theinvention in section

FIG. 5 is taken at line 5--5 of FIG. 4

FIG. 6 is taken at line 6 of FIG. 4

FIG. 7 is taken at line 7 of FIG. 5

FIG. 8 illustrates the rise and fall of the engine valves in differentmodes of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic in conjunction with a compensator valve insection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

By referring to FIG. I the invention can best be studied to becomeacquainted with the hydraulic system.

An oil reservoir 14 (the engine oil pan) supplies oil through line 15,to hydraulic pump 10. The hydraulic pump comprises a low volume segment,and a high volume segment that will be referred to later. The pump 10comprises two outlets with check valves 64 housed within each outlet.Oil is passed through check valves 64 to a single line 25 with apulsation damper 63 linked with line 25, passing further to a rotaryvane distributor 17. The pump 10 should be located outside the enginehousing 24 and would be driven from the engine accessory belts or gearsnot shown. The rotary vane distributor would be driven and timed to theengine 24 power shaft (crankshaft) (not shown but is well known to thoseskilled in the art). After passing through line 25, the oil isdistributed by way of lines 18 and lines 19 to shuttle release valves17, passing further to engine hydraulic actuator valve lifters 20 by wayof hydraulic linkage 21. The oil is returned by means of lines 52 toreservoir 14.

In some engines a cam shaft is used to operate the fuel injectors 222.This invention would adapt the rotary vane distributer to include theengine fuel injector and pass oil by way of line 218, through quickrelease valve 17, through orifice 21, to lifter or actuator 20.

FIG. 2 shows an oil cooler 11; wherein, oil is passed from line 15 tocooler and from cooler to line 13. A fan motor 12 would act to cool theoil as the oil is forced through cooling exchanger 11.

The distributor 16 comprises two rotary vane housings. One vane housing27-A housed within distributor 16 distributes oil through lines 18, to ashuttle release valve 17, through line or linkage 21 to a hydraulicactuator lifter 20 to where actuator piston 55 is forced against valve22 to open the valve which is housed within engine housing 24 (intakevalve). Likewise vane housing 27-B will actuate the exhaust valves. Therotary vane housings 27-A and 27-B are driven by way of crankshaft gear66 and drive gear assembly 65, being linked with shaft 26. The rotaryvane housing is keyed by way of keys 38 and 39 to shaft 26. The shaft 26comprises a hole 40 leading from the center of the shaft to a cavity 41that opens an area between two vanes 28; wherein, oil is forced torotate under pressure around housing 20, to force oil into lines thatmay be exposed between the two rotating vanes (two on each vanehousing). An orifice 42 leading from cavity 41 to the underside of vanes28 force vanes to stay in contact with outer housing 20. Coil springscan also be used on the underside of the vanes (not shown). As the line18 is charged with oil pressure, the shuttle release valve 44 will beforced from seat 45, to rest against seat 46, by overpowering spring 47;thus opening line 21 to actuator cylinder 54. As actuator lifter piston55 is forced against valve 22 and spring 23, orifice 339 as shown byFIG. 4 will meter some oil into dash pot 61, which acts to limit themovement of actuator lifter piston 55. Holes 60, when closed, provides astop or limit for valve 22 lifter, and at the same time provides abreather as piston 55 is returned to a rest position. When vane housing27-A or 27-B is rotated to where lines 18 or 19 is not located betweenthe vanes 28, a bleeder orifice 301 as shown by FIG. 4 will act to bleedoil from line 18 or 19, thus removing pressure from release valve 44whereby, spring 47, and the oil pressure against the bottom ofpiston/valve 45, by way of line 220 will force release valve 44, fromseat 46 to rest against seat 45, as shown by FIG. 4 shuttle valve B.Valve spring 23 will then force oil by way of lifter piston 55, fromcylinder 54, through line 21, to close check valve 221; thus, forcingoil through line 220, around check valve 49 into return line 52. Aspiston 55 is returned to the rest position, a dash pot 57 is provided tocheck the rapid return of piston 55, thus acting to prevent noise and/ordamage to valve 22. An orifice 58 is provided, and as dash pot piston 59contacts dash pot 57, some oil will be metered through orifice 58 as thereturn speed of valve 22 is checked. A spring 56 will prevent any motionbetween lifter stem 67 and valve stem 68 by providing enough pressure toover-power the weight of piston 55, thus keeping dash pot 57 filled withoil.

Referring back to shuttle release valve 17, check valve 49, and thepurpose of the check valve, the release valve has a primary function torapidly release the oil from lifter cylinder 54 and, the check valve 49acts as a secondary function to prevent any excess oil from leaving thecylinders 54 and/or lines 21. The release valve should be located to, oras near to, the lifter 20 as possible to reduce friction of oil withinline 21 and provide a very rapid return of valve 22. Clearance aroundrelease valve 44 should be sufficient to allow spring 4 to force (veryrapidly) valve 44 from seat 46 to rest against seat 45, and at the sametime be close enough to act somewhat like a piston when vane 28 opensfluid to pass through line 220 against valve 44. The valve 44 should bereferred to as a shuttle valve. A check valve 221 is housed within line21 to cause the oil flow to pass to actuator 20 through check valve 221as shown by FIG. 2. When the oil is passed from lifter 20 to shuttlerelease valve 17, the oil, then, forces check valve 221 closed; thus,the oil bypasses line 21 by way of line 220; wherein oil pressure inconjunction with spring 47 forces shuttle valve 44 from seat 46 to restagainst seat 45 as shown by FIG. 4; thus, dumping the oil from actuatorlifter 20 through check valve 49 and into line 52.

The two vane housing, 27-A and 27-B are housed within bearing housing31, an outer housing 120, a divider plate 33, an outer housing 121, anda cover plate 32. A bearing 34 links shaft 26 with housing 31. A sealingring 35 is provided between shaft 26 and housing 31, shaft 26 anddivider plate 33, and shaft 26 and cover plate 32. An outer seal 37seals bearing 34, housed to bearing housing 31. The unit 16 is heldtogether by bolts 122. The purpose of providing two vane housing is tobalance the pressure that is forced radical upon shaft 26 or bearing 34.The vane housing 27-A cavity 41 is located to shaft 26 180° from vanehousing 27-B, therefore; the pressure is balanced, wherefore; no radicalload is forced upon bearing 34 from the hydraulic pressure withincavities 41. Lines 18 and 19 are located to housings 120 and 124 tocorrespond to each valve lifter timing, and gear 65 is timed to theengine crankshaft. Shown by FIG. 4, a more detailed species of theinvention is shown and the numerical references beginning with thenumbers 300 upward are new and more particularly relate to changes fromthe parent application. The system comprises a two stage pump 10 havinga low pressure segment, wherein oil is forced through line 346 to a lowpressure damper 63, around check valve 64 into line 25. Likewise; a highpressure segment forces oil through line 347, around check valve 345 andhaving a damper 341 connected to line 347, wherein; the two linesegments 346 and 347 intersect to form line 25. A bypass valve 342 onthe low pressure side can return oil by way of line 348 to the intakeside of pump 10. Likewise, a bypass valve 343 will return oil by way ofline 349. The high pressure side of pump 10 will not bypass in normaloperation, but when the pressure on the high side exceeds the lowpressure setting of bypass valve 342, the low pressure side will bypassoil in part by way of line 348. An example is as follows. The lowpressure is set at 300 P.S.I. (pounds per square inch) and the systemrequires 300 P.S.I. to actuate valve 22. Due to the location of damper63 and check valve 64, the high pressure damper can accumulate pressureup to 500 P.S.I., thus 300 P.S.I. in conjunction with the volume heldwithin damper 344 will speed up the actuation of piston 55 withouthaving to hold 100% of the volume necessary to fully actuate the valve22 at 500 P.S.I. If it is assumed that 15 gallons per minute (G.P.M.) isused to operate the system, then 10 G.P.M. will be held at 300 P.S.I.and the high pressure side held at from 300 P.S.I. to 500 P.S.I. Thiswill allow the system to operate at near 20% less power requirement thanif the system were held (total volume) at 500 P.S.I. The hydraulicsystem will require 2 times the valve spring force for operation. Oilwill then pass through line 25 to intersect a rotor vane distributer 16as has been previously described. The distributor comprises a pluralityof side vanes 307 shown by FIG. 4, and as shown by FIG. 5, a spring 337will hold vane 307 against the sides of the distributor 16. The vane 307is a square bar except for a round end that engages with an elongatedslot housed to shaft 26, and will hereinafter be referred to as sidevanes. The rotors 27-A and 27-B comprise a bleeder orifice 301 thatintersect with a bleeder cavity 302 at one end, and with a bleederorifice 303 and 305 housed to shaft 26 at the other end. The bleedercavity 302 is a concave groove machined or formed to the backside ofrotor 27A and 27B being 180° from cavity 41. Bleeder orifices referredto above, will replace orifice 43 of the parent application which washoused to line 18 or line 19. The parent application showed an orifice62 passing through piston 55 and is replaced with orifice 340 whichintersects with orifice or line 339. The purpose of these orifices isfirst, to supply oil to dash pot 57 from the return side of shuttlevalve 44 in preference to the pressure side. Likewise the bleeder forline pressure between distributor 16 and shuttle release valve 16 isbled by way of orifice 301 intersecting with bleeder orifices 303 and305. The power requirement for constant bleeding of lines while underpressure has made it necessary to make the aforementioned changes. Otherchanges include a sealing ring 338 housed to actuator lifter piston 55.

The parent application comprised two species of variable valve timing inconjunction with the aforementioned system. Due to the low powerrequired to drive the rotary vane distributor 16, and the nature of theclosing of valve 22 with respect to time, a new device for advancementof the distributor rotors will be shown here.

Show by FIG. 5, the distributor 16 comprises a drive mechanism 300,wherein; the rotors 27A and 27B can be advanced as an engine speed orR.P.M. increases. A hub segment 321 is keyed, pressed, and timed toshaft 26. A housing segment 320 is linked with shaft 26 by way ofbearing 328, and is the driving force for shaft 26, by way of linkage322, when linked and timed with the engine power shaft. By referring toFIG. 7 the mechanism 300 can be further studied. The linkage 322 iscounter weights linked with hub 321 by way of pins 325 at one side, andhaving moveable links 329 linked to the counter weights' opposite side,by way of pins 326, said moveable links further linked by way of pins327 to housing segment 320. Shaft 26 is keyed by way of key 38 to hub321. The counter weights 322 rest against lugs 323 and are held in therest or dormant position by way of springs 324. A cover plate 330 isbolted by way of screws 331, wherein; the unit can operate partly filledwith oil for lubrication. A seal 350 seals the backside of unit 300.

Where fuel injectors 222 are to be actuated with the variable timingdrive mechanism 300 and distributor 16, a compensator valve 380 is usedto provide an advance timing for injectors 222 different from the enginevalve 22 timing. By using rotor 27-B housing 121 for actuation of valves22, and rotor 27A housing 120 for injectors 122, only the two rotorhousings would be needed for the valves and injectors. By referring toFIG. 9, the compensator valve 380 system can be studied. The distributor16 comprises two hydraulic lines 351 and 352, and pass from distributor16 to valve body 363. A moveable spool 364 is housed within valve body363 having a groove 382 machined around the spool for each injector 222.One electric solenoid 365 and 366 is linked to each end of spool 364 andis electrically linked by way of lines 369 and 370 to a relay switch 373and operated by way of electric coil 371 said coil 317 connected to theengine battery by way of line 273 (positive). A ground wire 357 passesto the drive mechanism 300. An insulated carbon brush 359 passes throughhousing 320 having a contact point 358, and when compressed againstspring 360, the contact point 358 will ground line 357 by way of aninsulated bar 362 that encircles the face of housing 312. By referringto FIG. 7, contact point 356 is shown, wherein; the weights 322 willmove to the broken lines indicated. The contact point will move inwardto ground coil 371, thus completing the circuit to solenoid 365, whichwill move spool 364 to the position indicated by the broken lines. Thiswill close off hydraulic lines 351. When the engine speed is reducedbelow a predetermined R.P.M., contact point 358 will open, thus allowingrelay switch 371 to make contact with line 370 to activate solenoid 366and deactivate solenoid 365. When using this compensator valve therotors may be advanced 20° to 30° for the valve timing, but when contactis made with points 358 and hydraulic line 351 is closed the injector222 would be timed by way of hydraulic line 352 and the injector timingwould be retarded to compensate for the difference between the desiredvalve timing and the desired injector timing. Obviously this valve 380could be used to advance the valve timing and a separate valve for theinjectors without the use of drive mechanism 300.

To make the invention the parts would be casted, fabricated, and/ormachined to the proper tolerance, then assembled in accordance with thedrawings and written descriptions. The hydraulic reservoir could be theengine oil pan having two compartments (one for normal engine oil andone for hydraulic oil). A smaller engine oil pump would be used due toelimination of the cam shaft bearings and valve rocker assemblies.

In operation; the hydraulic fluid is passed from the oil reservoir tohydraulic pump, then to a hydraulic distributor, wherein; thepressurized distributor will time the opening, duration, and closing ofthe engine valves, and injectors where applicable. When hydraulic linesare opened to rotor cavity 41 as shown by line 19 of FIG. 4, theactuator shuttle release valve piston 44 is forced from valve seat 45 toseal of seat 46 where fluid is forced through line 21, around checkvalve 221 into actuator cylinder 54, to force actuator lifter piston tomove and actuate valve 22. Likewise line 218 will actuate injector 222.As rotors 27-A and 27-B are rotated to open bleeder cavity 302 to linesshown as line 18 or 19, the lines will be depressurized by way of cavity304, bleeder orifice 301, and orifices 303 and 305 to lubricate bearings34, and discharged through line 306. Shuttle valve 44 will then beforced from seat 46 by way of pressure within line or orifice 220through pressure from valve spring 23 in conjunction with spring 47 toseal seat 45, wherein; the fluid is dumped through return line 52 toclose valve 22. Where variable valve and/or injector timing is used, themoveable counter weights as shown by FIG. 7 would be dormant (as shown).When the engine moves to a predetermined R.P.M., the weights 322 willbegin to move outward from the centrifical force generated from engineR.P.M. increases. Spring 324 will then, regulate the position of thecounter weights until the weights rest against housing 320, wherein; thehub 321 is advanced to the position shown by the broken lines. FIG. 8shows an illustration of the rise and fall of valve 22. Normal valverise, duration, and fall with fixed valve timing using a cam shaft isshown as curve 1. Using the valve timing distributor; at low engineR.P.M., Number 2 curve represents the valve opening at near verticallift and staying open 100° (200° crankshaft degrees for four cycleengine). As engine speed increases, and position of rotors stays thesame, curve 3 would represent the valve operation. As engine R.P.M.increases, and the rotors 27-A and 27-B are advanced (shown here as20°), the nature of time factors, shows; that it requires 20° to openthe valve fully and likewise to close to provide a valve openingduration of 280 engine crankshaft degrees as opposed to 200° at lowR.P.M.s. The fall or closing of valve 22 could be governed by the sizeof orifice 220 and/or the rate of spring 50 housed within shuttlerelease valve 17. The compensator valve (where applicable) would retardthe injector timing to provide the correct total advancement of the fuelinjector timing.

An example;

valve opening advanced 20° (degrees)

injector timing retarded 15° (degrees)

total injector advanced 5° (degrees)

The invention is described in a broad sense to hypothetically illustratevarious operations of which many modes of the invention is made obviouswithout departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having then described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by letter patent is:
 1. An internal combustion enginehaving hydraulically actuated poppet valves comprising in combination:ahydraulic pump having a hydraulic linkage with a hydraulic reservoir,and driven from an engine power shaft, a rotary vane hydraulic valvetiming distributor timed and driven by said engine power shaft, andhaving a vane rotor, said rotor having a pressurized cavity on one side,and a bleeder cavity on said rotor's opposite side and, furthercomprising: a hydraulic line linkage with said hydraulic pump, aplurality of shuttle release valves having hydraulic linkage with saidhydraulic distributor, a plurality of hydraulic actuator lifterapparatus having hydraulic linkage with said shuttle release valves andfurther linked with said engine valves.
 2. The internal combustionengine as referred to in claim 1, wherein said hydraulic pump furthercomprises;a first stage having an outlet line means, a bypass valvelinked with said outlet means, a return line connected to said bypassvalve, a pulsation damper linked with said outlet line means, and acheck valve located between said damper and said line linkage passing tosaid rotary vane distributor.
 3. The internal combustion engine asreferred to in claim 2, wherein said hydraulic pump further comprises:asecond stage having an outlet line means, a bypass valve connected tosaid line, a check valve means, and a pulsation damper located betweensaid check valve and said line linkage passing to said rotary vanedistributor.
 4. The internal combustion as referred to in claim 3,wherein said rotary vane distributor further comprises:a rotary vaneshaft having a bleeder orifice and passing through said shaft tointersect with a bleeder orifice passing through said vane rotorperpendicular to said shaft orifice and linked with said vane rotorbleeder cavity, main vanes housed to said vane rotor, side vanes housedto said rotor, a shaft bearing means and an orifice linking said bearingwith said bleeder orifice.
 5. The internal combustion engine as referredto in claim 4, wherein said rotary vane distributor further comprises avariable timed rotor shaft comprising:a drive apparatus having a drivehub linked and timed to said vane drive shaft, and further having ahousing segment linked by way of a bearing to said hub, and driven byway of said engine power shaft, a plurality of moveable counter weightshaving a pin linkage with said hub on one side, and further having a pinlinkage with a plurality of movable links, said links having a pinlinkage with said housing segment.
 6. The internal combustion engine asreferred to in claim 5, wherein said rotary vane distributor furthercomprises:a rotatable linkage between said housing segment and saidengine power shaft, wherein said housing is timed to said power shaftand being further timed to said engine poppet valves, wherein saidvalves are variable timed.
 7. The internal combustion engine is referredto in claim 6, wherein said rotary vane distributor further comprises:alinkage with engine fuel injectors wherein said injectors, are actuatedand variable timed.
 8. The internal combustion engine as referred to inclaim 7, wherein said shuttle release valve further comprises:a shuttlevalve having a first position, wherein oil is transferred through thevalve ports to pressurize said actuator lifter apparatus and having asecond position, wherein oil is transferred from said actuator lifterapparatus to a return line, a check valve means, and a bleeder orificelocated between said shuttle valve and said check valve, and linked withan orifice leading to a dash pot housed to said actuator lifter.
 9. Theinternal combustion engine as referred to in claim 8, wherein saidactuator lifter apparatus further comprises:an actuator cylinder havinga dash pot at either end, an actuator piston having a dash pot piston atone end and the opposite end extending through said cylinder and inkedwith said engine valves, sealing ring means housed to said actuatorpiston, a vent orifice leaving said cylinder and a metering orificelinked with said shuttle release valve orifice for the purpose ofsupplying oil to one of said dash pots.
 10. The internal combustionengine as referred to in claim 7, further comprising:a variable timingcompensator valve having a hydraulic linkage with said rotary vanedistributor and an electric linkage with said distributor driveapparatus.
 11. The internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 10,wherein said compensator valve further comprises:a two way hydraulicspool type valve having an electric solenoid at either end, a valve bodyhaving a first and second hydraulic lines for each fuel injector linkedat on end to said valve body and the opposite end linked with saidrotary vane distributor, a valve spool having a plurality of groovesaround said spool and each of said grooves intersecting with said firstand second hydraulic line linkage, that said spool comprises a firstposition wherein said lines intersect with said groove and a secondposition, wherein said first line linkage is closed, and a single linelinked at one end to said second line hydraulic linkage and the oppositeend linked with said shuttle release valve said shuttle release valvelinked by way of said actuator apparatus with said engine fuelinjectors.
 12. The internal combustion engine as referred to in claim11, wherein said compensator valve further comprises:an electric relayswitch having a first position wherein one of said solenoid iselectrically actuated, and a second position wherein said first solenoidis deactivated, and said second solenoid is activated, and said relayfurther having an electric communication with said variable timing driveapparatus.